The Grove (Ravens #1)

i. the minefield

 The Grove Forest was a minefield. From the moment the ostracized teenagers took over, one wrong step, one wrong move, could be the cause of war, yet that never seemed to drive people away. One might think that a logical person would run, find a place where they were safe and accepted, search for the legendary City of the Forgotten. But that's where the problem was: the city was merely a legend, and people were not always logical. No, despite the looming threat that hung over the forest like a heavy cloud, many had found their home in those woods. These were the people who took each other in after the fortified cities denied their acces. These were the camps they built, the places where their new families declared their existence. The Grove Forest was a minefield, but it was all they had.

Sebastian Harlem—a tall boy whose eyes were weighed down with responsibility, causing him to look older than his nineteen years—exited the room he shared with two other boys in the cabin situated near the Northern entrance of the Ravens' camp. He could hear the rest of the camp waking up, and the first people entering the center area. He scanned their territory, making sure everything was in order and safe. Sure enough, he could see the scouts on patrol, their shift having started two hours earlier. Everything seemed to be fine.

"Let's go!" He called, walking down the staircase. His building, B1, was situated higher up than the other cabins. This was to his benefit, since it allowed him to have a solid view of everything in the camp. He watched as people slowly began to move. There was Hayden, the lanky scout who'd injured his knee two weeks back, walking with Serena, the medic, and Emma, Sebastian's younger sister who he was constantly trying to protect, although that did not fit her agenda.

"Sebastian!" Serena called to their leader. He smiled and ran down the stairs, approaching her and the boy with a limp. "I have good news. That stomach bug that was going around is pretty much gone. Everyone who was still sick is definitely getting better now."

"That's great!" Sebastian said, "How's Hayden's leg doing?"

"It's fine," Hayden interrupted. He hated being referred to as though he wasn't there. "I can be back out there today, I think." He was still limping though, and Sebastian knew better than to send him out that quickly. At the same time, Dylan, the group's other leader, approached the circle.

"We're running low on food. Some of the scouts should go out hunting," Dylan said, her voice serious and mature.

"I'll go!" Hayden volunteered, but he was quickly turned down by all three others. They agreed that he would stay back in the camp and help fix the holes in the surrounding fence, and perhaps he could be cleared by nightfall.

"Are we sending messengers out for any reason?" Dylan asked, turning to Sebastian, who simply shook his head.

He was met with a cold glare from his little sister, as it was her job in question. "I'm not staying in camp," Emma said, "I'll go out with the hunters." Sebastian sighed, knowing there was little point in arguing. He agreed to let her go, on the condition that she stayed with Nathan Maxwell. Nathan was an actual scout, which Emma was not. The latter accepted this requirement, as she was friends with Nathan and would have much preferred having some company throughout the day. The two hunters approached the weapons vault and swiftly exited the camp, Emma leading the way.

"Ellie, come help me fix the fence," Dylan decided. She was generally more hands-on in camp life than Sebastian was. Sebastian, on the other hand, was often found guarding the camp at any hour of the day. The first leader led the younger girl, as well as scouts Yasmin and Corey, towards the broken wall.

"Hayden, come back to the Med Hut," Serena said, "I'll check your leg again."

"Can I get the all clear?" Hayden smirked. It had been two weeks since his leg had been injured hunting, and he was sick and tired of being confined to the camp. It made him feel useless, especially since he wasn't exactly skilled in any field of camp life. He was a strong fighter, and he was determined, yet impatient. He wasn't a cook or a nurse by any means.

"We'll see," Serena sighed. The two of them entered the Med Hut, where a couple of the camp's members had fallen ill. A slight stomach bug had gone around the camp recently, but these two seemed to be the end of the sickness. 

"Sorry, but I'm perfectly capable of moving around camp like a normal person again," Hayden laughed, "I'm bored." Serena did not respond, but began her routine checks. The boy was able move his leg, but the knee was far from perfect. She had a suspicion that it was never going to be perfect again, but she didn't want to tell him that. Besides, he was able to walk again now. He didn't need to stay in the Med Hut anymore, that was for sure.

"I think you'll be alright," Serena smiled softly, "Just don't run, and I'd still stay in camp. Not much use having a guard who can't protect the camp, right?" At that, Hayden nodded. He knew that she was right, but he was frustrated with how restrained he felt.

---

"I hate hunting," Emma muttered, fiddling with her spear. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, a typical style for the girl, and her brown eyes were filled with a vivacious intensity. The resemblance to her brother was uncanny; they had the same defined cheek and jaw, the same nose. However, there was no mistaking the two. Upon meeting Sebastian, you knew that he was kind, he was mature. Emma, on the other hand, was a wild card. She and Nathan had been hiding behind some shrubs a half mile away from camp for approximately thirty minutes, and they had yet to find a real animal to kill. "It's so slow. I just want to stab something in the neck already."

"Still think it's slow?" Nathan gestured to the clearing. A horse had just entered the area, a perfect shot. As the animal began to nibble on the dried up grass, the two hunters examined it, making sure it was safe to kill, that there were no rival hunters pursuing this same beauty.

"Can you get close enough to make sure its neck isn't branded?" Emma whispered to Nathan. She hadn't answered his question, but the new gleam in her gray eyes was enough of an answer. There was one tribe on the eastern side of the forest who had begun to domesticate animals. The Ravens had never been in contact with that group, yet occasionally they would come across their livestock.

Nathan nodded and approached the animal, "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." He inspected both sides of its neck, looking for any symbol that it may belong to an enemy tribe. Killing an enemy's horse was one of many ways the Grove minefield could explode. He made eye contact with Emma and backed out of the way as she threw her spear. It landed in the animal's throat, and Nathan gulped as it fell over. Emma closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't enjoy killing, but she didn't feel any real guilt about it either. It was all in the name of survival, right?

"Don't worry, I hurt her, not you," Emma smiled, standing up and cracking her back, "Now let's get back to camp. We'll need help getting this girl back." She retrieved the weapon, as it belonged to the camp, and not herself, from the dead animal It was ironic though, truly, how Emma Gail Harlem insisted on examining the horse, making sure it would not be the powder keg. See, the powder keg had just exploded regardless and the minefield was slowly becoming more and more dangerous.